COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan
March 16, 2020
To City Council and the Harbor Springs Community:
The City of Harbor Springs is preparing and planning for the inevitable migration of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) into our city. While the risk of suffering severe health problems or death is low for young and healthy adults, the risk of severe complications or death is significantly greater for the elderly and those with compromised immune systems or underlying health issues. It is imperative that we all play a role in containing and slowing the spread of the virus so that emergency and health officials can prepare for an eventual outbreak and protect our residents from the worst of the disease.
The City will remain proactive while responding to the threat in a calm and rational manner. We will continue collaborating with our government partners and health officials to coordinate responses, and we will respond to developments accordingly. For now, City Hall will remain open and City business will continue unless State and/or City officials determine that it is unsafe to do so. While many of us can tolerate significant disruptions in regular life for prolonged periods, many others are not as fortunate and rely on employment and public/private services on a daily basis. Thus, I would encourage residents, businesses and community organizations to communicate and work collaboratively to ensure that we minimize the impacts of these disruptions for those most vulnerable to economic volatility and those susceptible to succumbing to the worst of COVID-19.
The actions we take in the upcoming days will be a minor inconvenience for some, a major disruption for many more, and a blessing to those who will have avoided the worst of the disease. Your City employees will be working diligently and tirelessly to minimize the negative social and economic effects of these measures. The City will continue ensuring that you have water and electricity in your homes and businesses, that essential infrastructure is maintained and operational, that City finances remain in order, and that planning and preparing for future policies, projects and initiatives do not grind to a halt.
The Harbor Springs community is resilient and resourceful, and we will bounce back from this looming pandemic stronger than before. Stay healthy and safe.
Sincerely,
Victor Sinadinoski, City Manager
Please see the below emergency plan.
Harbor Springs COVID-19 Emergency Plan 3.16.2020
